


in this essay i will

by somethinglikegumption



Series: most wonderful time of the year [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, it's finals week and betty is feeling the pressure, jughead's just along for the ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 15:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17062310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethinglikegumption/pseuds/somethinglikegumption
Summary: It's finals week, and the last thing Betty needs is her roommate's hometown friend knocking on their dorm room door and interrupting her studying. (No matter how cute he is.)





	in this essay i will

**Author's Note:**

> [Sarah](https://theheavycrown.tumblr.com/) prompted this one with: you’re my college roommate’s sibling/best friend and you’ve come to visit for a week since you’re done school but unlike some people, I have three more finals to study for so kindly fuck off
> 
> If you don't know where the title comes from...I'm sorry for you.

A pounding fist on the door of the dorm room finally makes its way through Betty’s noise-cancelling headphones. 

It must have been going for a while since it’s picked up almost to a fever pitch, continuous beats against the wood. Tearing off the headphones, she double-checks her eight page paper has saved and storms to the door.

“The sign says do not FUCKING disturb -” and her breath catches in her throat, the boy - the  _man_ \- on the other side pulling her from her anger for a second, before she remembers exactly how much study and work time this little interaction will probably cost her.

“I’m looking for Veronica?” he asks, pulling the gray beanie from his head and shaking off the snow. 

“She’s at the library, now leave me alone. I have three finals to study for and a paper to write.”

And with that, she slams the door in his stupid pretty face and puts her headphones back on, cranking the instrumental playlist up so she can’t hear him lingering outside the door before shuffling off down the hall.

* * *

Their second encounter happens three hours later, when Veronica returns from the library, dark-haired stranger in tow. He hovers in the doorway while Veronica comes in to unload her things a little after midnight.

“Betty! You’re still awake?” she asks, and Betty just nods from her spot at the desk highlighting lecture notes for notecards. 

“Come meet Jughead then!” Veronica turns and gestures him in. “We pretty much grew up together.”

Betty turns in her chair and holds out her hand. “Hi Jughead.” 

He grabs her hand and shakes it, releasing it almost as fast. He must still be recovering from her greeting earlier.  _Good._

“He finished his finals last week so I invited him to come up this week. You don’t mind him sleeping on the floor, do you?” Veronica says rather than asks, firm in her belief that her up-until-now agreeable roommate would be okay with anything she suggests. Betty waffles back and forth in her head, but she’s about to give in when Jughead speaks up.

“Actually, I’m going to get a hotel room. Betty told me she has three finals to study for,” he tells Veronica, glancing over his shoulder to toss her a wink.

“And a paper,” Betty grumbles under her breath.

“And a paper,” he echoes to Veronica. “She doesn’t need me around to ruin her flow. Now, take me to these so-called ‘best in town’ burgers. I’m hungry.” 

“Aren’t you always?” Veronica asks with a laugh. 

Betty stares, open mouthed, as Jughead gently maneuvers Veronica towards the door without her so much as putting up a fight. He shoots her a two-finger salute as the door swings shut behind them.

Left alone in the quiet peace of the dorm room, just her and her notes and highlighters, Betty starts to think that Jughead might not be too bad.

* * *

Betty has finally given up for the night and gone to bed by the time Jughead drops Veronica off, so their third meeting comes the next day when she’s left the safety of the dorm for the library.

She’s midway through an internal profanity-ridden rant on academics who don’t list their research online and force poor undergrads like herself to either pay through the nose for a printed out-of-circulation copy or wait weeks for an interlibrary loan to come through when Veronica texts her.

**Veronica**

_Jug and I are stealing you from studying for sustenance. Can’t think on an empty stomach! Where are you?_

An audible growl from her stomach stops any thought of denial in its tracks. 

**Betty**

_Where are you thinking?_

**Veronica**

_The Cellar in 30 minutes! Meet you there!_

The thought of one of their half-pound burgers has her mouth watering as she packs her things and sneaks a copy of the source pages she needs for her paper. It takes all of two seconds for some other student to grab her table next to the outlet and set up camp, so she goes straight for the exit.

Veronica and Jughead are posted in the corner booth next to the old-fashioned jukebox, so Betty has to slide in next to Jughead who offers her a smile in greeting.

“Feeling confident enough to take a study break yet?” Veronica asks once she sits down.

“No, but my stomach was going to revolt if I didn’t eat soon. Thanks for the invite,” Betty says, and Jughead toasts her with his coffee cup.

“As hostess, it’s my duty to make sure you and Jughead actually get to know each other!” Veronica passes her a menu. “What better way to do that than share a good burger and some good conversation?”

“The quality of the burgers is yet to be seen,” Jughead remarks. “We just had shakes last night.”

“You won’t regret it,” Betty tells him, opening the menu and closing it right away, already knowing exactly what she wants. “They always seem to cook the burgers perfectly and the half pound is just filling enough when paired with onion rings.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jughead says, and waves to the server. 

“The half pound burger, an order of onion rings, an order of fries, a strawberry shake, another cup of coffee, and…what do you guys want?” Jughead asks. Veronica laughs and Betty shakes her head, a smile on her face.

The girls place their orders and the server runs off, calling out instructions to the cook on the way. 

Jughead turns to Veronica and starts updating her on someone named Archie, Veronica listening with a fond (if somewhat exasperated at times) smile to the stories of his antics. Betty decides now is as good a time as any to review her flashcards.

Digging in the front pocket of her backpack, she grabs the pink notecards and flips through definitions and dates.

She gets so focused on the cards that Jughead has to bump her shoulder with his twice before she looks down and realizes their food has been delivered. 

Tucking the cards away, she takes the first bite of her burger, realizing how hungry she actually was. Three minutes is all it takes for her to down the whole thing.

Betty looks over. Veronica’s still working on her burger, talking about the finals she finished yesterday slowing down her eating, but Jughead has already polished his off and finished a handful of fries.

Jughead glances up at her, then down at her plate. They share a smirk, letting Veronica continue on her speech about her European history professor while they focus on the important thing: eating.

Once Veronica runs out of steam, Jughead finishes off his fries and turns to Betty.

“When are your finals, Betty? Veronica didn’t know off the top of her head.”

“One later today, two tomorrow, and my paper is due tomorrow too,” Betty tells him.

He grimaces in solidarity. “How much longer on the paper?” 

“Just have to add a reference, edit and then I’ll be set,” she says, breathing a sigh of relief. “Luckily enough I found a source today that fit my narrative so I don’t have to change anything to the argument.”

“Well, let me know if I can help at all,” he says. “It stresses me out just seeing your methods.”

“Jughead’s a writer too,” Veronica pops in. Betty turns to him in interest.

“I want to be a writer. Fiction mostly, although I write a little bit for the school paper,” he explains. 

“Me too! That’s actually my major, journalism, or it will be if I can get into the J school next year,” Betty says, and Jughead turns his whole body to talk to her.

Veronica smiles and turns back to her food, for once okay with not being included in the conversation. 

After an hour of discussion about Betty’s aspiration to work for the New York Times and Jughead’s future novel about a small town shocked by a popular teen’s murder, the diner has emptied from the lunch crowd and Betty realizes her final is in two hours and she still needs to review her flashcards.

“Sorry guys, I’ve gotta go get some more studying done before my next test. Can I Venmo you for my burger?” she asks, swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jughead says over Veronica’s reassurances that yes, she’ll send a request. “I got it.”

He offers her a smile and shoos her off. “Go get that studying done.”

“Thanks Jughead,” she says before rushing towards the door. 

As the bell over the door jingles behind her, she just catches the sound of Veronica’s voice.

“Jughead Jones! I can’t believe you have a crush on my roommate!”

Smiling to herself, Betty starts the trek back to the dorm.

* * *

Veronica has conveniently begged off of their celebration of Betty’s finals being over, citing a meeting of a club Betty had never heard of before today, but she sends Jughead to meet Betty outside of the exam room on Wednesday night.

“How was it?” he asks, and Betty smiles, tension releasing from her shoulders with each step away from the room. 

“I think I aced it,” she says conspiratorially. “Don’t tell the TA though, he likes to think he’s a hard ass.”

Jughead laughs and grabs the door, leading her out into the snow. Betty zips up her coat, glancing up at the clouds releasing a few more flurries into the evening air.

The walk back to the dorm is quiet, the two of them sneaking glances at each other and quickly looking away when they’re caught.

On the front step of the building, Betty’s about to swipe her keycard when he stops her with a hand on her shoulder. She turns to look at him, the snowflakes stuck on the dark curl hanging from his beanie catching her eye.

“What?” she asks, fingers reaching up to brush the flakes away.

“Now that you’ve gotten through those three finals…” he trails off.

“And a paper,” she reminds him.

“And the paper, right. Now that you’ve finished all that,” he pauses, taking her hand in his, “will you go on a date with me?”


End file.
